Charge of the Goddess

by Doreen Valiente

Shipped from UK, please allow 10 to 21 business days for arrival. A very good, clean & sound copy.

Genres: Poetry, Wicca, Witchcraft, Paganism, Spirituality, Occult, Magick

96 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 2000

About the author

Doreen Edith Dominy Valiente was an influential English Wiccan who was involved in a number of different early traditions, including Gardnerian Wicca, Cochrane's Craft and the Coven of Atho. Responsible for writing much of the early Gardnerian religious liturgy, in later years she also helped to play a big part in bringing the Neopagan religion of Wicca to wider public attention through the publication of a string of books on the subject.
Having been born in south London, she first became involved in the Craft after being initiated into the Gardnerian tradition in 1953 in a ceremony performed by Gerald Gardner.
Subsequently becoming the High Priestess of his Bricket Wood coven, she helped him to produce many important scriptural texts for Wicca, such as “The Witches Rune” and the “Charge of the Goddess”, which were incorporated into the early Gardnerian Book of Shadows.
Splitting off to form her own coven in 1957, she went on to work with Robert Cochrane in his coven, the Clan of Tubal Cain, till the mid 1960s when she began working as a solitary practitioner. Throughout the 1970s and 1980s she penned a number of books on the subject of Wicca - which she always called "witchcraft" – including “An ABC of Witchcraft” (1973) and “Witchcraft for Tomorrow” (1978), as well as being an early proponent of self-initiation into the Craft.
Having had a significant influence in the history of Wicca, she has been referred to as "the mother of modern Witchcraft" and is today is widely revered in the Wiccan and wider Neopagan community.

Reviews

[Matal “The Mischling Princess” Baker · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m not a poetry aficionado, but I really enjoyed Doreen Valiente’s poetry in “The Charge of the Goddess. Besides the actual charge that was included, this collection includes poems like “The Ballad of Sir Roughchops” that is absolutely hilarious. However, I don’t think that anything can top Valiente’s “How Green was My Olive or The Chastening of Charlie,” which was based on Valiente’s experiences with Charles Cardell.

Reading these poems gave me a lot of insight into Valiente and her life. She had a grand sense of humor and had I known her before her death, I would have gotten along with her splendidly!

[Marcela Pichaud · Rating 3 out of 5]

Me ha costado caleta encontrar libros de magia buenos (aun no encuentro niuna wea la verdad) y si bien este no era uno de magia como tal, al menos era de poesía que hablaba de rituales y cosas etc etc interesante aprendí cosas en especial porque a modo de spoiler cada poema tenía una explicación + comentarios de conocidos de la escritora lo cual a ratos se me hizo muy tedioso porque no se que onda con explicar la poesia? en fin siento que fue más un objeto para honrar su vida y memoria, lleno de dedicatorias, fotos, etc. Los poemas tampoco eran tan buenos pero siento que algunos más que poemas eran oraciones/conjuros así que no se si cuenta.

[Molly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sadly, did not enjoy this collection very much. Subject matter was often oddball, structure of poems did not capture the imagination, heart, or memory. It read like someone had unearthed stuff Doreen didn’t bother publishing and published it anyway. I feel a little bad for not liking it, because she was such an influential voice on the path, but other than the original Charge, her form doesn’t really do much for me.

[Bladestryke · Rating 4 out of 5]

a quick read but filled with beauty. I lived the poetry and the excerpts by people who knew her. definitely makes me want to find her other books!

[Reham La-yramo · Rating 5 out of 5]

beautiful, amazing, and simply magical

[teacupsandunicorns · Rating 3 out of 5]

Basically an elegy to Doreen.

Her poems and then an explanation of how it is tired to witchcraft and an explanation of the custom/tradition she is referencing. It was interesting, but ultimately it wasn’t what I was expecting. I thought it would be more informative about her life. Instead it was mostly her poetry, brief explanations of the practices she referenced, and peoples (very brief) memories and experiences with her. Which is all valid, but again I thought it was more informative rather than just a memorial of love for her. Again this memorial of love is perfectly fine but I was expecting more facts and history of her life and her practices and he research.

[Rhiannon Grant · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enjoyable and theological interesting poetry collection, although sometimes over-attached to rhyme and simple metres. Valiente's writing at its best is easy to memorise and spiritually moving - this volume, which aims to collect all her poems, includes some of this, but also some of the misses, which are interesting in other ways.

[Jennifer James · Rating 3 out of 5]

These are poems by the Mother of Modern Wicca. They were disappointing. I only liked a handful of them. I looked for the book because I have two song versions of "The Witches' Rune" with different lyrics. I found a third set of lyrics on the intranet. This book has yet a fourth. Interesting.

[isobel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hard to put a rating on very personal work by someone as instrumental to the witchcraft scene as Valiente has been, but I enjoyed this quite a bit and think it's a great addition to the poetry shelf of any witch worth their salt.

[Taliesin Govannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wish I could give this 1,000 stars! Doreen Valiente was a singular voice, and her spirit lives on in the millions who use her words every day.

This book is indespensible...

[Andrea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very amazing poetry.